Avengers: STATION
by Mechamobzilla1
Summary: The failure of a STATION class can prompt many things. One such thing is Nick Fury giving Natasha Romanoff an assignment that will change her life forever. **An AU that may not be CANON compliant**
1. Fury's Gamble

Avengers: S.T.A.T.I.O.N

AUTHORS NOTE* This is my first story. So my apologies, for any OOC moments. This may seem a little choppy. I might just put up the first 5 chapters or so and then go back and add some stuff. Who knows! It's my first time and I hope to have a blast.*

Chapter One: _Fury's Gamble_

June 2013: Post London Incident

S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier, Director Fury's Office

1578 hours.

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

"No. This class won't work with them." Nick Fury stated. "They are reckless, and none of them have the technical skill. Hell, three of them barely passed the physical!"

"Sir." Maria Hill started. "You know I have the utmost respect for you. But we need to graduate a class this term. I get 2013-A wasn't the best class, but we can't afford to be undermanned."

Nick Fury sighed. She was right. The events of London had shown him and the world that there were still forces that could wipe them out in no time flat. He looked again at the roster, and made a decision;

"Burke, Remy, Paulsen. Everyone else cycled back into the program. Slate a 2017-C entry test for only those of this group that pass a reexamination test. Run it concurrently with 2017-B." Fury eyed Hill;

"Start screening for 2017-B."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

The Avengers, were scattered.

Stark hung up the Iron Man suit.

Rogers was adjusting.

Romanoff and Barton were on their S.H.I.E.L.D rotation.

Banner was at Stark Tower, working RD.

And Thor was on "Vacation" in London with Jane Foster.

In the eyes of Baron Strucker, the world was defenseless. For now. It was only a matter of time until it would be too late for the Avengers to act.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

A cold breeze cooled Connor's skin, as the warm summer sun beat down on Aberdeen. A short walk from School to Home separated him from food.

Well, a short walk for everyone else.

For Connor, it was a 5 second jog.

Superspeed was neat.

Whizzing through alleys and backstreets, Connor found himself home quickly. He entered home at normal speed and went straight to the fridge. Mom and Dad weren't home, so the food was free for the taking.

One bucket and six pounds of potatoes from KFC later and Connor was full. Hunger sated, he turned on the TV. The London Incident was the new big deal on the News these days. Bored quickly, he looked out the window, and caught a glimpse of something.

A head of red hair a block out. But it wasn't the hair, the woman thought that she could look away fast enough. She didn't. She was looking right at him.

Her expression told Connor that she knew she had been made. Muscles tensed in slow motion as she rose to move.

For Connor, it was an opportunity to alleviate some boredom.

He dashed out of his window, snatched up the woman, and ran back to his room, dumping her on his Futon.

"Don't try running. Ya know, casing homes isn't a good look on you." He simply quipped.

"I wasn-"

"Oh, so you were stalking? Look, as drop dead Gorgeous as y-"

"My name is Natalie Rushman, and I work for the government."

Connor stopped. His throat dried and his palms began to sweat.

"Look, I haven't hurt an-"

"I'm here to talk to you about joining a program, actually." Natalie spoke, almost normal.

"W-What Program?" Connor asked.

"We call it S.T.A.T.I.O.N."

"Acronym?"

"Acronym."

"Do I want to know?"

"No."

"Well… ok. Where do I try out?"

"Tomorrow, Meet me at the Needle. In Seattle." Natalie looked him in the eye, and smirked;

"Shouldn't be a problem for you."

Connor nodded. "Just leave my parents out of it."

"Deal."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

"You made contact?"

"He made me sir. His reflexes were just a LITTLE faster than mine. I wasn't sloppy, just outpaced… for once."

Fury sighed. He looked at Natasha Romanoff.

"We've been watching him since the Battle of New York. You think he's ready? So soon?"

"He has to be, Romanoff. It's too late now."

"What do I do?"

"He's young. His parents aren't around as much as he'd like to believe. Before we bring him into S.T.A.T.I.O.N, he needs a mentor. He needs to mature."

"Barton could take him."

"No. Barton needs time to recuperate. Loki did a number on him."

"Then who, Nick? Stark?"

Seeing the humor, Fury chuckled.

"No Romanoff. You."

"What? Me?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No sir. It just that I don't have the schedule."

"You do now. Your job is threefold. Protect him, guide him, and be there for him."

"You're asking me to make a connection? To compromise myself?"

"Read his file and give me a better approach."

That stopped Romanoff from arguing. Seeing her lack of response, Fury pressed;

"We will give you a cover story that will allow you to bring him to D.C. You two will be living together for an extensive period of time. You need to know him. One day you may be his handler."

"He's 14. I'm not exactly sure how he will act to this change."

"We aren't either. There's only one way to find out. I want him ready for S.T.A.T.I.O.N by September. He needs to graduate 2015-A."

"That's a fast time table."

"2013-A was a bit of a bust. His talents will help him."

"You think he will pass?"

"He will. It's your job to make sure he earns a place amongst Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The reason he's starting at STATION is so we can show the other Mutants, Inhumans,or Enhanced that they can too. Motivate them, and gain Connor."

"I'll get ready "

"Good. Good Luck Romanoff."

"I'll need it."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

October 2013

STATION 2015-A Initiation

STATION Operations, Washington DC

"I look stupid."

"You look fine, Speedy."

"Don't call me that."

"Fine, Recruit West."

"You know, I hate you."

"Just remember… Your abilities do not define you."

"Ok, Nat."

"I have a meeting. I gotta go."

"Ok. See ya!"

Connor turned away from Natasha and looked at the clean, but plain building in front of him. STATION was essentially a year and a half skill test. Unfortunately, it was a year and a half of exhausting work. Connor's class was 27 other people. All older than him. Natasha made it clear that "Only the toughest, maybe five or six at most, will graduate the first time through."

He was a little worried. But Nat had made it clear that Fury had called down to the staff to help hide Connor's abilities.

He felt hand picked. Then again, everyone here was.

"Ok. Here I go."

Connor's courseroom was located on the second floor. Six hours a day in that room. With 27 other people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

But the room was spacious.

14 tables, arranged in two columns, faced the front of the room. A quick count showed 22 of his classmates were in the room. The others would roll in soon.

He took a seat in the third row. No one was next to him, yet.

He eyed the room, and saw a few people from Initiation.

Chris Doyle, a 31 year old Canadian man. At 6'1, 226 pounds of Muscle, he was a physical prototype.

Annette Shawn, a 47 year old forensic analyst from London. Her experience allowed SHIELD to track the remaining Dark Elves.

And Kazuchika Morimoto, an Engineer from Tokyo who designed the newest Quinjet for SHIELD.

Connor knew that this class had some heavy hitters. But honestly, he felt prepared. As long as he kept his powers a secret, he should be alright.

 _15 minutes later*_

STATION was intimidating. But not as intimidating as the instructor that entered the front of the class.

He looked aged. Mid 40's to early 50's. His hair was graying and his face clean shaven. He was relatively well built, like a slightly husky runner. He looked to be around 6'1. But the reason for his intimidation was the fact that he had a cold gaze. Clear blue eyes scanned the room and Connor swore that the temperature dropped.

"Hello class." A southern accent surprised those who weren't paying attention. "My name is Doctor Leonard Fremont. You will refer to me as Instructor Fremont, or sir. Understand?"

"Yes Instructor!" The class chorused.

"Good. Now, you have all made it through the preliminary scanning and screening. Don't celebrate. All you have done is advanced to the next circle of hell. For the next year and a half, I will be your guide to the scorch of your fears, your worries, your triumphs, and your victory. My job is to ensure that you receive the information needed to graduate, but present the challenge that screens out the weak. Today, you will be acclimated to the STATION facility, learn of the chain of command, and take a preliminary test, so I can gage where we need to start. Remember, a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Do you understand?"

"Yes Instructor!" Another chorus.

"Now, let us begin."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

 _6 1/2 hours later*_

Connor slipped into an alley. After a glance around, he smiled and began to run. Everything around him slowed down and he breezed around DC. It was nice to get out and run, and after today's courses, he was eager to get home.

Skidding to a halt in front of their Apartment complex, Connor looked and was glad that no one saw. He smiled and walked up into the building.

Entering the apartment, Connor knew not to wonder where Natasha was. She was out on a SHIELD op. Something about "Budapest 2.0" (Connor had never, EVER, heard the story) so he never worried.

Then, he heard a knock. Sharp, and quick. He tensed up and approached the door, sliding the gun put from under the Lamp on his way.

He stopped, and glanced through the hole.

He was greeted by a tall blond man, with blue eyes and a very innocent face.

Steve Rogers.

Connor eased up, and opened the door, holding the weapon out for Rogers to see.

"You're lucky I didn't just open and pop you."

"Connor, wow. I guess I'll be more careful."

"No worries man. What's up?"

Rogers looked at Connor a little forlornly.

"I'm lost."

Connor studied his face, and was about to laugh when Steve said

"What am I supposed to do with myself?"

"Oh." Connor paused. "Well, honestly, in my book, you should come to SHIELD."

"No, Connor. Shadow operations are not my thing. Besides, SHIELD doesn't need me."

"Really? You think that? Dude, you really need to understand two things: First, Natasha took me in. Ok? She never needed me and I was about as lost as you are now. Second, you are literally an asset to any team you are on. You are a leader, and a hero. You'd inspire everyone around you. So next time, before you say that SHIELD doesn't need you, maybe think that maybe SHIELD could really use your help."

Steve stepped back, and chewed his lip before looking back at Connor

"Thanks Connor. Really."

"No big deal dude."

 _3 hours later*_

After seeing Rogers off, Connor lounged in the Living Room. His homework (if one could call government training work "homework") was done. He was ready to head to bed when he heard four sharp knocks, followed by to whistles. Connor got up and checked the hole in the door.

Nat was home!

He opened the door and let her in. Natasha strutted in and looked around, examining the living room with a calculating eye, before turning to Connor

"How was class?"

"Well, Instructor Fremont is intimidating. The food is ok and the course work is a breeze."

"So, you had a good first day?"

"It was alright, I suppose. Training for a super secret government organization shouldn't really be fun right?"

"Well…"

"Ok, point taken."

"Any visitors?"

"Rogers stopped by."

Natasha was surprised at that. She turned sharply, and looked at Connor.

"What did he need?"

Connor shrugged "Advice. I think I did damn good."

Natasha smirked. Personally, she thought Connor was alright. But she could see that some times his ego still shined through. But in such a short time he grew up. Just a bit, but it was obvious that by putting him into a better situation, he was able to flourish.

She felt pride. Something she hadn't felt in years.

"Good job, Connor. I'm going to grab a shower. Then we will do dinner."

"Don't use all of the hot water!"

Halfway into the bathroom, Natasha shook her head and replied

"Bite me!"

Yeah, maybe this whole "connection" thing would do them both some good.

 _*One hour later*_

With Connor fed and asleep, Natasha went to the roof and spared a glance around, before calling Fury.

"Agent Romanoff, status?"

"Green, sir."

"And West?"

"Acclimated. He has settled in and flourished in a more positive environment."

"Good. How did he do on his first day?"

"As expected. Breezed through the courses and from what Fremont tells me, he is near the top of the class. Emerson, Donald, and Morimoto are the only ones above him. Doyle isn't to far under."

"So fourth overall?"

"Yes sir."

"Good start. Especially for someone so young."

"Agent Romanoff, West is in a good position. You haven't had a vacation in the decade you've been with SHIELD. Even I've had one or two. Take the next two months off. Build a connection with West, and then when you return, finish your last three months on SHIELD rotation. Then BOTH of you will relocate to Avengers tower for the remainder of his STATION days."

"That far from DC?"

"He could run there and back in 45 minutes to an hour."

"Trust me, Romanoff. He can do it. It's good practice."

"I hope you're right, Nick."

"Me too, Romanoff. Fury out."


	2. Origins of a Teenage Speedster

Chapter Two: _Origins of a Teenage_ Speedster

February _6th, 1998_

Aberdeen _General_ Hospital

A storm thundered outside the near empty halls of the Hospital. But rain,wind, and thunder mattered not to the family within.

A young woman and a young man watched as their newborn son slept quietly. But the father felt uncertain about the future of their family.

"You know we can't keep him, right?" The father asked.

"I know." the mother replied, so quiet that the father could barely hear.

"I know a young couple. They have been unable to conceive. They would make excellent parents."

"But what about his heritage, his genes? How will they react when they find out that he is--"

"They know of us. I've trusted them for decades. We have no choice, we cannot afford to raise him when we live the life that we do."

"...Alright. But we must do it tonight."

A decision was reached.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

September 2nd _, 2003_

North _Aberdeen Elementry School_

"Ok Connor, remember what I told you. It's ok to talk to others, you need to be social. Making friends goes along way in making yourself happier."

A young boy looked up at his mother. With a shy smile, Connor West replied

"Yes Mom."

With a smile of her own, Elizabeth gave her son a kiss on the head, and returned to her car.

With that, Connor turned toward the school, and walked in.

 _15 minutes_ later

A bell ringing signaled the start of class.

But the bell couldn't have been better timed. At that bell, Connor just stopped caring. The work was easy, the others left him alone.

And he was done 10 minutes before everyone else.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

 _May 19th, 2009_

Olympic _National Park, Near Mount_ Olympus

It started innocently enough. Time would slow, Connor would be playing, and he would be somewhere in Aberdeen.

But this time, instead of stopping, he ran with it. The result was a 20 minute run that put Connor on top of a mountain in shoes with no soles.

So, now he had to run back. Taking a deep breath, he immersed himself and took off. Time blurred and the wind blew on his face as he built speed, running downhill.

Hitting a highway, Connor followed it. He had a general sense of where to go, and soon enough, Aberdeen was upon him. He had the fire in his veins, telling him to keep going, but giving in to a desire to return home, Connor skidded to a stop in the backyard of his home, and walked in.

He found his parents waiting.

"Sit down son. There's a few things that we need to tell you." His Father, Dale, said.

That day, and every day after that, Connor knew that he was not only in danger, but he was dangerous.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX X

 _May 2nd, 2012_

Ever since the Hulk wrecked Harlem in 2008, Connor knew he hadn't been alone as a powered being. But as he watched the TV, and saw the Battle, he knew he had to help. Somehow.

He reached New York during the last hour of Battle, evacuating as many as he could.

He passed mutilated corpses, dead aliens, and even caught a glimpse of the Avengers.

That day, he realized that he had to use his powers, his abilities, for good. To help those who could not help themselves.

By the end of the week, Aberdeen's own "Blur" was on local television, and on SHIELD's radar.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX X

 _February 6th, 2013_

 _The Triskleon, SHIELD HeadQuarters, Washington DC_

Natasha Romanoff received a very specific and unusual set of orders.

In fact, the orders were so unusual, she did not trust Hill's confirmation. So she went to Fury.

"Yes, Agent Romanoff, those orders are authentic, and yes Agent Romanoff, they are meant for you."

Natasha, confused asked

"Why? I'm not a baby sitter."

"No, but you are the best in the world at tailing people from a distance and not getting caught. Connor is on our watchlist for the Avengers initiative. He also has a brain that puts him amognst some of the brightest here at SHIELD. That, and his powers mean that we need the best. For now, these are your orders."

"Understood, sir."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

So Romanoff found herself in a situation (That she had well in hand) that was interrupted by the Blur.

Two weeks later she located his school, observed his life.

What she saw, more often than not, was longing. The Boy was ways excited to run. She could tell that he felt exhilerated with every run, no matter how brief. His parents weren't around enough to know, and Romanoff figured how easy it would be to swipe him.

By May 2013, Natasha filed her first Field report on subject Connor West.

" _West exhibits recklessness when entering a crisis. He does not stop to examine the situation. His perception could be altered to allow for a faster flow of information. More field study would be required. His psyche suggests that he often experiences boredom, implying that time passes slower. Again, more study on his perception, required."_

On a sunny June day, Romanoff decided to close the distance. She saw him open his bedroom window, KFC bucket in hand, before stepping back.

A few minutes later, Romanoff looked up from her book at the worst possible time. It clicked all too quickly that she had been made, but before she could think about walking, she was on a bed, face to face with Connor West.

"Don't try running. Ya know, casing homes isn't a good look on you."


	3. A Day in the STATION

_A Day in the_ STATION

SHIELD _STATION_ Operations

Washington _D_ _C_

 _October_ _23rd, 2013_

"Now, we will start with an examination of SHIELD's current computers. The newest processors require excellent maintenance to run at peak performance. Here, you can see that the storage has been damaged. Can one of you tell me how to deal with such an issue without a spare drive?"

A hand raised in the front, Ozzy Emerson.

"Yes Cadet Emerson?"

Emerson spoke slowly; "Sir, wouldn't you simply run a reboot to the power cell to allow for emergency systems?"

"Close Cadet, but unfortunately, that would take far too long. Any one else?"

Connor, cautiously, raised his hand.

"Yes Cadet West?"

"Sir, you would bypass the damage by using the OS Command Prompt to access the ships wireless servers. Alternatively, you could re route your data flow to the nearest system to continue operations, until repairs are complete."

Instructor Fremont smiled;

"Very good, Cadet."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

 _30 minutes later, Lunch Block_ C

Connor walked into the Canteen. The smell of food making his stomach rumble. He eyed the numerous food stations. Nachos, Pizza, Hamburgers, Salads, and Soup. Not alot in his eyes, but enough to feed himself until class ended.

Moving over to the Pizza station, Connor grabbed a plate and prepared to dish up when a hand swatted his plate down. Shocked, Connor turned to face the assialiant.

Ozzy Emerson, and Walter Bailey. The (Formerly) Top of the Class, and the (Barely) Fifth in the class.

Ozzy wasn't the biggest guy. He was a stocky 5'9, and weighed in at maybe 165 pounds. Gives off the "peaked in high school" vibe.

Walter though, was a very big guy. At 6'4, 243 pounds, and majored in Chemistry, Walter was a real candidate for the STATION support crew, the very group that works with the Avengers.

Why he followed Ozzy, was anyone's guess.

"Listen here, prick. I don't know how you knew that, but I suggest you quit cheating, or you'll get thrown out!" Ozzy barked, right in Connor's face.

"I didn't cheat! It's right in the tech manual, page 276! You would know if you read, punk!"

Ozzy looked like Connor had stepped on his dog;

"Why I 'otta-"

Walter stepped in between

"Not here, Ozz. He isn't worth it."

Ozzy stopped at that. He looked up at Walter. He then glanced at Connor, huffed, and turned to leave.

"Just remember, I have my eyes on you, Prick."

With that, Ozzy stormed off.

Connor stood for a few seconds, Then, he turned back to the Pizza, grabbing a new plate to dish up.

"Dumbass." He muttered to himself.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

 _STATION Head Instructor's Office_

 _*1 Hour later_

"Cadet West, calling him a "punk" will only escalate the situation. You failed to conduct yourself in a professional manner during the incident. Your punishment will be cleaning, 4 hours after class today. I will notify Agent Romanoff to come collect you afterward, understood?"

Connor nodded, and replied with a steady "Yes sir."

"Good. You are to locate the Janitorial lounge. There, you will receive your supplies. Dismissed."

 _4 Hours later_

Connor was waiting in front of the STATION facility when a black Corvette rolled up on front of him. The passenger window rolling down to reveal Natasha Romanoff.

"Get In." She ordered.

Connor silently complied.

As they merged into traffic, Natasha looked over to Connor

"I'm not mad."

Connor was surprised " Really?"

"No. You actually handled it really well. I would've broke his hand."

Connor smiled at that.

"So what did Ozzy get hit with?"

"3 months of cleaning. He instigated."

Connor looked over at Natasha

"Are we in High Five territory?"

Natashs silently raises a

flat hand to Connor in response, and Connor moves to high five, when Natasha moves her hand.

"Too slow, Speedy."

"I hate you."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

With Connor settled down and situated, Natasha headed to the roof. A glance around revealed that she was alone. She brought up her phone and dialed Nick Fury.

"Sir, Romanoff here."

"Agent Romanoff. Report."

"Green across the board. Connor is over today's altercation."

"Good to hear. Cadet Emerson is facing a deduction in points. The odds are good he won't be in the top ten again for some time. It's a shame, he's s bright kid."

"Bright people don't attack others for outperforming them."

"Point to Romanoff. How's West's psyche?"

"Good. Getting better everyday. He's starting to open up to me. Tells me a few funny stories or jokes here and there. He's comfortable, sir."

"Excellent. Your SHIELD term ends in December, you'll relocate to the tower in January."

"Understood sir."

"Fury out."

With a press of a button, Romanoff returned to her apartment.

Connor was getting better, in her eyes. He was getting faster, and smarter. His fitness was improving and he was opening up.

But these next few months would test him. Hell, it would test them both.

AUTHORS NOTE* Chapter Two was a little short. I ended up doing that one on Mobile, as well as Chapter One. Three will (Hopefully) be the Last Mobile Chapter.

As a apology for the Short Ch.2, I'm giving you guys a third. I'll have the next one up by Monday, I'm thinking.

Fin.


	4. The First Cut

Chapter Four: The First Cut

STATION Ceremony Room, STATION Operations, Washington DC

November 1st, 2013

Connor was nervous, and rightfully so. The day had come in which the STATION Cadets would discover the first 10 who had been cut. Of the 28 2015-A Cadets, only 18 would move on to the next round. Connor heard a rumor that 2015-A was the first class to reach the first round of cuts without a single dropout, but reports of things like that around the base were often exaggerated.

Approaching the Leaderboard, Connor looked to see where he placed, the Top 10 caught his eye;

Connor West

Kazuchika Morimoto

Walter Bailey

Milo O'Shaughnessy

James Corbin

Melissa O'Neal

Emily Van Dorn

Carmen Peterson

Debra Lee

Abdul Ali

Further glancing down, Connor saw that Ozzy Emerson was ranked 18th, right on the bubble.

"Well Cadet West, it appears that you are Number One at the First Cut."

Connor turned around and was face to face with Nick Fury, the director of SHIELD.

"I'm director Nick Fury."

"Yeah, i got that… the eyepatch."

Fury chuckled, and walked to stand at Connor's side, facing the Leaderboard. He gestured to the board

"I take it you are quite comfortable with your position at the top?"

"Yes Director, very much so sir." Connor replied.

Fury paused, examining the board, before turning to Connor

"A wise man told me once to keep both eyes open. As you can see, it's a little hard to do. My point is, to get cozy, the next phase makes people like Emerson desperate. You will encounter those who want to only strengthen their own position. The Overlying lesson is, learn to trust your gut,"

"Why are you telling me this, sir?" Connor asked.

"Because I like you, Cadet. You work hard, fast, and efficiently. There is no one better to have on the STATION program. But you need to show everyone that you deserve it. Just because I like you, doesn't mean I won't throw you out."

Connor swallowed "Yes Sir."

"Good. As you were."

Nick Fury turns to leave, and Connor takes a moment to wonder what brought that on.

With a shrug, Connor turned to leave, his day was over, but he spent that whole day wondering why he should keep both eyes open.

But then her understood, it wasn't a tip, or a lesson.

It was a message.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Natasha Romanoff was tired of these debriefings.

The operation had been a cover so that she could access the database and recover the location of the device.

Except, Agent Holmes blew their cover. So a diversion became a smash and grab.

It paid off, but three agents were dead, and two more wounded.

Despite getting the data, Romanoff believed it was a failure. They now knew that SHIELD was coming, and they were probably relocating as they speak.

So yeah, Agent Romanoff was mad.

So when Connor called, she was a little snappy.

"Look, i'm worn out, and ready for a nap, ill will talk to you after i get back and get settled." she said, then hung up.

No. Agent Romanoff was very much pissed off.

But she knew Connor would understand. At least, she hoped.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Taking a left into the conference room, Connor took his place in line with direct attention. To his right, the screen behind the stage displayed the top 15. It dismayed Connor to note that Ozzy Emerson was at 13th. He had made the first cut.

Turning his attention to the podium, Connor saw none other than Maria Hill, with whom he had little personal relations, prepping herself. Taking a glance around, Maria Hill spoke;

"Call to attention."

The Cadets snapped to attention, some more rigid than others.

"Most of you already know, that if your name isn't on this board," Hill gestures to the board behind her "Then you did not make the cut. Some of you narrowly, others simply weren't up to chops. Personally, some shouldn't have even accepted the offer. If you aren't on this board, you are dismissed. Good luck on your future endeavors."

13 cadets filed out of the room. Some teary eyed, others with their chins held high. Connor felt bad for some, others he didn't, and he didn't know how he felt about how he felt.

"The rest of you," Hill spoke, drawing their attention back to the front "Have another 6 weeks until the next cut. The first phase was academics, knowledge, and problem solving. Now, you get to experience training, and battle strategy. You have 6 weeks to become top level fighters, strategists, and even soldiers. It will be hard, grueling, and in the end, only 5 of you will make the second cut. Good luck. You're dismissed."

The cadets snapped to attention and chorused

"Yes Ma'am!"

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Entering the apartment to find Natasha asleep above her covers with the light on was nothing new to Connor. Flipping the light off and shutting the door, Connor turned to the kitchen, and decided on making a large portion of Lasagna.

After preparing his food and putting it in the oven, Connor turned on the TV and checked the news.

"We are several months removed from London, and many people are still unsure of how to proceed with their lives in the British Capital. Reports indicate that the last of the Invaders were caught only last week, leading to speculation that their could still be more."

Connor wasn't sure about how to proceed with things either. To be honest, he wished he was still the weirdest thing around.

He found it amusing that his life has turned out like this. He was rooming with an Avenger. A hero. He was a nobody.

He still didn't know his place in all of this. Natasha still kept him in the dark and after snapping at him before, he wasn't ready to have that conversation.

Soon though, soon.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Maria Hill stood in front of Nick Fury for the fourth time that week. Her attempts to pry information from the Director had failed to this point.

"But I don't understand, what's the endgame for Connor?"

Fury could only smile "Again Agent Hill, the endgame, is the Avengers."

Hill nodded, and promptly left without a word. Fury was a little confused, as Hill was normally more composed. Turning and looking out of his window, Fury only wondered what the true endgame could be. He trusted his gut, and his gut said that something big was coming.

He just hoped it wasn't too late.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

*AUTHORS NOTE* So sorry for the delay. This one took a bit of planning because I had to dabble in the art of mentor figures, and personal forshadowing. All in all, it's better than what i originally wrote. The quality might be meh still, but I'm getting rolling. But I hope just shy of a thousand words is good enough for you guys right now,


	5. Bullseye

Chapter Five: Bullseye

The Barton Residence

17 Miles Northwest of Davenport, Iowa

November 2nd, 2013

Clint Barton was normally in control of his brain to mouth filter, only saying something after he had thought it over. With Laura and the kids in town shopping, it was only logical he check in on his best friend.

"No, Nat. I am NOT wearing that on my first day back."

"You know you want too."

"Again, no. I will not wear suspenders on my first day back, let alone purple suspenders. I love purple, but this whole concept is ruining the color fast."

"Fine, I'll slip it into Fury's office when he's not looking. With a lovely little note that says "With Love, from Hawkeye."

"Romanoff, for the love of God, don't. I value my life... and my family, of course."

"Are you sure? Connor could get it in there faster than Fury could blink."

A pause.

Not recalling a Connor, Clint asked "Natasha, who's Connor?"

"My current stinky teenage mission."

A smile crept across Clint's face.

"Give me the details. All of 'em."

"I'll do it in person. I'm coming up next weekend, might as well bring Connor. He would probably love the farm. Lots of room to run."

"Run? He's that active?"

"It's a long story, Barton. But for once, I'm planning on relaxing in peace. Connor is gone at the moment and I can smell your sweaty farm odor through the phone"

Clint chuckled.

"But I want to do it in silence. I'll call you at 0730 your time."

"I'll be here."

"Okay, go take a shower."

She hung up before he could reply. Clint furrowed his brows, and quickly took a whiff of his arm pits.

How did she know?

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Connor whizzed through city streets as he enjoyed the wind on his face and the rush in his veins. He loved doing laps around DC. He wished he didn't have to turn or Dodge so often. It was crowded. Even New York during the Battle had been somewhat better.

Taking a right he shot into an alley and skidded to a halt. Taking a look around, he saw no one. So he assumed a casual walk and hopped into Sidewalk traffic. He was close to his destination, and had to be careful about getting spotted.

Since he had arrived in DC, Connor had seen only one other person with powers. This guy's powers allowed him to control, but not generate fire. Said guy was in the back streets, doing tricks for the poor for free and for the rich for money.

Like a Carnival Robin Hood.

He watched the dude Light a small fire, than make said fire into a disk. Than he rolled it into a ball, and threw it into another Trash bin.

Same trick, different day.

Backing up, Connor looked around, and seeing that he was clear, bolted towards Home.

Dinner was on his mind.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Baron Strucker smiled, as one of his agents sent him a picture of a staff. More of a scepter, but Strucker knew it was far more than that. He just had to wait until the time was right, and it would be his.

"Soon, my precious little miracle. Soon indeed."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

November 9th, 2013

The Barton Residence

"This driveway is so fu-"

"Connor, if you swear in front of Lila and Cooper, I will make you swallow you damn tongue on Pizza Bites."

Connor, wisely nodded. No swearing.

Pulling up, Romanoff parked the car next to a truck. She then switched the car off, and got out. Turning her head side to side, She surveyed the farm. The Barton's were going to be a little under on wheat, it looked like. The West Wall of the Barn was still in disrepair, and the House was beginning to lose it's paint.

Turning to Connor, she gestured to the house

"Welcome to Casa de Barton."

Connor looked at the house. His next words were "Wow. Pretty modest. This guy likes his silence, huh?"

"You could say that. Also, do note that Fury, Hill, Me, and you are the only people who know about this farm, about his family. So if you so much as breathe a word, I'll line you up for Clint to shoot at, and Clint does not miss."

Connor nodded slowly, wide eyes turning back to the land.

Any further conversation was interrupted when a man came out of the house. He looked to be in his late 30's, short Sandy blond hair, gray eyes, and a stocky build.

He walked up to Nat, and he hugged her. Pulling away with a smile to Natasha, he turned to Connor.

"So you're the stinky teenager?"

Connor decided that he should just roll with that for now.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

"Lila and Cooper are still at school. Laura is picking then up and then coming home for the best night of the week."

Natasha smiled "Love your Venicine that much,Clint?"

"Just rationing what we have. Deer have been non-existant this season. Probably those damn poachers again."

Connor was the next to speak

"Just put up a game camera with a live feed. So you can see who they are."

Barton furrowed his eyebrows, "Why a live feed?"

"So I can catch them."

Barton stared at Connor. He stepped forward, and asked "Oh, Really? About the same time my arrow kills Hitler. No one could get over to that patch of woods in that time."

Connor simply put his head in his hand, he turned to Natasha, who was smirking. He turned back to Clint, and asked "What's your favorite food?"

Barton, still doubtful, answered "Ray's Nachos. Real good. It's a Mexican joint down in Davenport."

Connor grinned; "Be back in five."

Clint blinked, and Connor was gone.

Clint searched, turning and whirling, before facing Natasha.

"Nat, what is that? WHO is that?"

With a smile, Natasha answered;

"Connor West, stinky teenage speedster, and according to Fury, the next Avenger."

Barton turned back to where Connor stood; "Oh. Well. It's not the weirdest thing I've seen. At least I get Nachos!"

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

Three plates of Ray's Nachos later, and Clint, Natasha, and Connor were playing UNO when the door opened, revealing a woman. Said woman was carrying a little girl, who looked to be about four years old. As the mother came through the door, a boy, looking to be maybe 7 or 8, followed her through.

"Hey sweetie!" Clint said, getting up and moving to take the girl from the mother's arms.

"Hey, Hon." The mother replied, kissing Clint briefly before turning to the boy;

"Cooper! You forgot the groceries!" She said with mirth.

"Oops! I'll get it Mom!" The boy, Cooper said, turning and running back to the car.

"Connor, I'd like you to meet my wife, Laura, and my daughter, Lila." Clint said, proudly.

"Nice to meet you!" Connor said!

"It's nice to meet you too." Laura said, shaking his hand.

"Hey Lila, I'm Connor. It is VERY nice to meet you." Connor said.

Lila huddled aganist Clint.

"Forgive her. She's a little shy." Clint explained.

At that moment, Cooper came charging through the door, bag in hand. Handing it off to his mother, he quickly hugged his father before turning to face Natasha.

"AUNT NAT!" He yelled in joy.

"Hey Cooper!" Nat greeted, hugging the boy.

Connor noted that he had never seen Natasha open like this. Her eyes displaying no calculation, no analysis, only happyness.

It was in that very moment Connor realized two things.

The first, was that Clint had SOMETHING to fight for. Something go back too when it was all over. He didn't fight because he hated whatever target was in front of him. He fought because he loved the family that was behind him.

The second, was that Natasha was a part of a family that Connor simply wasn't part of. She had something to fight for too.

Connor didn't have that. He saved lives, and dabbled in crime fighting simply to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. But in no way would any of that affect Connor if he let it be.

If the Chitauri had won, Clint's family would've been in danger, or dead. Natasha would be dead.

Connor was without a purpose.

"Excuse me, I need to get some air. It's not all polluted here." Connor said, stepping outside.

Clint was none the wiser. But Natasha noticed. Maybe it was the atmosphere. Maybe Connor missed home. She had numerous explanations.

She'd ask on the flight back.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

The following morning, Clint went out for his morning exercise. 100 push ups and 100 sit-ups later, and he went to his totally-not-imrovised-pull-up bar.

60 pull-ups later, Clint was itching to get his bow. He went to his Footlocker and pulled his bow, a recurve, out. He grabbed his practice quiver, 20 arrows (His normal held 35. Sometimes he only brought one) and headed to his range.

He eyed his targets. At 20 yards there was a simple standing target, cushoned by a hay bale.

At 30 yards there was a target that slid back and forth on a rail powered by Clint's homemade combustion engine (Regardless of Romanoffs alleged claims, Clint Barton did not pull the engine from a car. At all)

Finally, at 50 yards, strung between two poles via pulley system, 25 feet off the round. Said pulley was powered by the same engine that ran the rail. The target moved side to side and bobbled up and down, the momentum of bobbling made it move back and forth in an unpredictable manner.

Clint turned to his right, and flipped the switch, firing off the engine. The targets began moving. Today's routine was 5 at 20, 10 at 30, and 5 at 50. This meant that Clint was focusing on moving ground targets, with 5 arrows to the stationary, and 5 arrows to the pulley.

He fired off 3 arrows into the Stationary. He then fired another arrow into the Rail target, before switching back to the stationary for the last two.

Switching again to the rail, five thwacks followed rapidly as Clint fired off into the Rail. He then fired an arrow into the Pulley target, nailing it dead center.

Clint fired to arrows back to back, and in Robin Hood fashon, split the first with the second, bullseye.

Quickly finishing the routine, Clint moved to collect his arrows when a blur whizzed between the rail and the stationary, collecting his arrows and piling them in front of Clint.

The Blur then raced UP the side of a pole, and leaped to collect the remaining five arrows, racing back to Clint, before he even had reacted to the arrows at his feet.

Clint had to keep his jaw from dropping as Connor examined an arrow.

Damn superspeed.

Connor looked up at Clint, smiling, he said "This explains the arrows I kept seeing as I was pulling people out. Where'd you learn to shoot?"

Clint shrugged, "Circus. Where'd you learn to run?"

Connor laughed and replied, "Depends. Some say the streets. Others say before then."

With a chuckle, Clint approached Connor and said "Well, Connor. If you are as good at fighting as you are at running, You are gonna be great. Now let's get inside. Laura is probably making breakfast."

"Ok. I'll race you!"

Before Clint could reply, Connor zoomed back to the house. As he started walking, Clint decided that yeah, Superspeed is stupid. Who needs Superspeed when you can shoot a bow and arrow?

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

*AUTHOR'S NOTE* Here's Chapter 5. Absolutely had a blast writing Clint. The shooting sequence was a little difficult, but hey, it's my first. I hope this chapter satisfies everybody, as it's probably the biggest yet.

I'll begin working on Chapter 6 tomorrow. I pushed Chapter 5 out quick, so yay! Here's a hint, the working title for Chapter 6 is "Today's Lesson: Storming the Castle."

Fin.


	6. Saving Captain Rogers, Part One

WHAT IS UP YOU GUYS!!!! I know I've been gone a long time. I sincerely apologize. It has been a string of bad things happening and now I have heart surgery in August. But... I will be getting back into this. I really want to continue Connor's story. I really do want to get back to _Diana's Crucible_ and _Varsity Blues._ I do have up to Chapter 8 on _Raging Tides_ done as well. So I am not going to commit to any dates. But know I am back. Not full time, But hopefully far more frequently. So... without further ado... Here is Chapter 6, so long awaited... of Avengers: STATION.*

 _November 8th, 2013_

 _STATION Operations_

 _Washington DC_

It had been a smooth ride back. At least for Natasha. She had gotten caught up with Clint, and given Connor room to run. Her mind was a little more sound, and her thoughts so much clearer.

Connor had enjoyed the break. He stretched his legs and ran around, driving Clint up the wall (But Cooper was enthused.)

Now, as Connor stepped into the STATION building, Romanoff was driven from her thoughts by a ringing.

Looking to her phone, she sighed at the caller ID.

Alexander Pierce.

Answering the call, she greeted him formally, hiding a mild displeasure behind a smooth facade.

"Hello, Mr. Pierce."

"Ms.Romanoff. Good to finally get through. I have an urgent request. It is coming straight from me. But we need to get this sorted before the press finds out."

Natasha's brows furrowed.

"What is it?"

She heard a sigh. Weariness.

Pierce audibly cleared his throat, before answering.

"Stark and Banner were tracking Gamma emissions. Part of a new SHIELD system that we wanted help on. One of said emissions came from New York. It was one of the most powerful measured."

Romanoff remained silent, knowing he'd continue.

"The location of the emission was from Brooklyn. In the same area where we last saw Steve Rogers. He's gone missing, Romanoff."

Natasha had stiffened at that. Gamma Emissions were last used to track the Tesseract. If there was a burst, and Rogers was gone... Romanoff wondered why.

Asgard had the Tesseract. Thor had taken it, and Loki, with him after the Battle.

It was a plausible theory. But she would check with the experts.

"I need a flight to New York."

"I have one waiting. Good luck, Ms. Romanoff."

She put the petal to the metal, and sped to the airport.

X-AS-X

As the day wound down, Connor found the training easier. Given, his speed did give him more time to think. But still.

But it was an interesting thing. Tactics were always a fun subject for him. Even now, this was far better than the first stage.

As the class ended for the day, the cadets filed out. Instructor Fremont had prepped them for tomorrows test, and Connor was confident, if a little over.

As he grabbed his phone from his locker, he saw a text from Natasha.

 _Left for New York. Hot food in oven._

Recognizing the code for Avengers business, Connor walked out of the building, and to an alley to begin running.

As he picked up speed, Connor began to let his mind wander.

More often than not, it came back to the same thing.

The Avengers.

Connor wanted more than anything to go on a mission with them. With Nat. She was basically his big sister. She helped him and guided him and it scared him that she could get hurt.

Plus... he really wanted to meet Tony Stark.

He felt a buzzing in his pocket and slowed down. He was in the outskirts of DC, and he ducked behind a shop to slow down to a halt.

It was Natasha.

He opened the text.

And dropped his jaw.

 _Get to Pittsburgh. We need your help._

X-AS-X

Natasha glided through the lobby of Stark Tower with ease. It was still undergoing major renovations after the Battle. Supposedly Tony was adding accmodations for the team. But, Natasha remained skeptical. Tony wasn't THAT nice.

Was he?

Entering an elevator, Natasha pressed the button indicating the penthouse. As the elevator silently moved up the tower, Natasha checked her phone. No messages or nothing. Obviously Connor was still in class.

A beep signaled that she had arrived. JARVIS let her in without a word, an unspoken arrangement between the two. It was a funny thing to think about. Because five years ago, Natasha would not have believed said arrangement possible.

But the same goes for Aliens.

She entered the living room. It took her seconds to note that only Banner, Stark, and Thor were present. Clint had notified her that he was only an hour out a few minutes prior, but he could be updated on the fly.

Thor was the first to see her, and loudly greeted "Lady Natasha!"

A smile and a nod were enough for Thor, Banner greeted her with a small wave, which she again smiled and nodded to.

Then. There wa-

"Sup Natashalie."

Tony.

"Stark." She replied.

After a few silent seconds, Banner led off.

"The most data we have been able to gather shows that there wasn't just one big burst. But instead, a high concentration of small ones. Like a lot of weapon discharges."

"Weapons?"

Stark spoke up "A SHIELD weapons cache was hijacked about a month back. My lucky underwear says it was the shipment holding all of Fury's phase two tech from the carrier."

"If these weapons are powered by the tesseract, they must be destroyed." Thor interjected. Natasha didn't doubt that Thor wanted all traces of the Tesseract wiped from the Earth.

Banner nodded "If we can get a trail, we can find them, and hopefully Steve. SHIELD can handle disposal."

"Uh, no." Stark replied. "SHIELD made these. They would in all likelyhood use the Chitauri to justify having them. They come here to be destroyed."

Thor nodded. He turned to Natasha.

"Lady Natasha, do you wish to add anything?"

Natasha eyed the table. Looking at the team, she nodded "We let Stark handle the weapons. Now how to we find the trail?"

"Oh, I got it." Bruce sheepishly said.

"When?"

"About a minute ago. It leads to Pennsylvania. Goes cold near Pittsburgh."

"Well," Stark began "What are we waiting for?"

Then Clint walked in.

"Did I miss it?"

Natasha grinned "Gear up. I'll brief you."

The Avengers geared up and quickly boarded the Quinjet, which was parked carefully on Stark's Landing Pad.

Taking off and rocketing towards Pittsburgh, the Gamma Tracer got a clearer trail.

Bruce notified Stark.

"It looks like it goes to here, just West of the City." He said, pointing to the map.

A nod from the billionaire sent Bruce to the back, where Thor, Clint, and Natasha were waiting.

The flight passed quick, and the Quinjet landed in a field. A structure was two miles East, and the trail led to it.

Stark tapped the hull "JARVIS, wait for mt signal, then bring her in."

"Good Luck, Sir."

"Thanks buddy."

The team set out, approaching quietly on foot. As they caught sight of the building, Stark ran a scan.

"I'm picking up heat signatures. 37 of them."

Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir.

Clint looked to the left "I've got 3 patrols of four men on this side alone. That's 12 more."

"Let's assume theres more and plan for 60 to 70?"

A nod came from each team member.

"We can't spook them. We don't know what position Steve is in." Natasha spoke.

"I'd drop them, but the sight lines mean that at least two teams can get a call out." Clint added.

"We need speed." Stark said.

"There is no mortal that fast." Thor said.

Natasha smirked and looked to Clint.

"Fury's gonna kill me."

Pulling her phone, Natasha sent a text to Connor.

"Now we wait."

It was a short time later that the team was startled by a quick breeze and the bushes rustling.

Turning, Natasha and Clint were not shocked to see Connor there.

Stark and Thor, were a different story.

"Who are you?" Thor asked.

"Where did you come from?" Stark followed.

"Connor. DC, 21 minutes ago." The newcomer said.

"Why?" Stark asked.

"Natasha said you needed my help."

Tony looked to Natasha.

She nodded.

"So..." Connor began, eyeing Natasha.

"What do you need?"

She turned and gestured to the patrols.

"We need you to clear the perimeter. No killing."

Connor nodded. On the outside, he was focused, but on the inside, he was fangirling. Really bad.

He stood up and sped off, the team watched as a blur raced around, knocking over the patrols almost as fast as they could blink.

He came to a stop, leaning on a tree beside them.

"Ok, now what?"

Natasha looked at him, judging for a moment.

She caught his eye.

"Go home."


End file.
